Sushi Bars in KW: More Unique than All-You-Can-Eat

I am guilty of getting sushi on campus for $10 a box but they aren’t exactly a bang for the buck. Within the city, there’s Itamae and Ye’s – fun, filling, and lots of FBI (i.e. fried banana ice cream). They’re great. However, we are so used to having all-you-can eat sushi that we have forgotten about the various a-la-carte options available in Kitchener-Waterloo. Forget about Mr. Sushi located in the campus plaza, hop on a bus, and opt for some better choices.
Dake in Kitchener and Watami in Uptown are very similar restaurants in terms of quality and price. While Watami has been in Waterloo for quite some time, Dake is a little less than 2 years old. I had never heard of Dake until my friend brought me there one evening. The inside looks like a bar – a stream of purple light surrounds the restaurant.
I don’t know if they were trying to look upscale but it was a little too flashy for me. We sat in a booth that appeared to be more subtle. Being the only restaurant in KW that offers teppanyaki (which is meat grilled via a iron griddle), Dake is almost unique on its own. Unfortunately, I did not get a chance to try the teppanyaki. There were so many choices on the menu that it took us literally 10 minutes to decide. The list of rolls and entrees at Dake is quite impressive. However, there was no free tea – so expect a glass of water unless you are willing to pay $2-$3 for a cup. I ended up getting a chicken katsu and a white Christmas roll. Katsu or Katsudon is basically deep fried breaded meat with rice. Often you will see pork katsu but this was my first time seeing chicken katsu. The chicken katsu comes in generous portions with lots of sauce and rice, along with a side salad and radish.
It was good and filling, and not too oily. I personally would have liked it without all the sauce. As for the white Christmas roll, it consisted of “fresh salmon, tuna, avocado, cucumber, wrapped in soy paper and topped with white fish and flying fish egg” ( this is taken from Dake’s menu). It sounded more than great. However when we got it, it looked like this:
This was a lot better than the stuff you can get at all-you-can-eat but it was far from what I expected. The roll was soft but lacked the flavour of raw fish. Anything with the words “white Christmas” should not be this mediocre. There were 20 different roll options – one of them must be done right.
Although small in both size and menu, Watami knows how to make their rolls right. I ordered the salmon ginger roll and the kansai style sushi. I’ve had the ginger rolls in the past and they were always done well. For some reason, the rolls this time were heavy in ginger and wasabi that I could feel the heat in my nose after just one bite. The same chef has been making these rolls for the past few years.
The kansai style sushi is probably one of the most unique items on the menu. The fish is pressed on rice in a box. Each piece is crafted with a lot of detail. I personally enjoyed looking at them. Don’t they look great?
And they tasted great too! I liked how there was fish embedded within the rice as well. It’s not just raw fish topped on rice. It’s literally a mini sandwich made with raw fish and rice.
My favorite part about eating at Watami was trying out their green tea cheesecake. I’ve never had green tea cheesecake before. I’m not sure if this is a seasonal item or just a new item they have in store. It’s not on the menu but the waitress will know if you ask them. It’s $6.50 a slice and looks like this:
It tasted good. SO good. Imagine a cheesecake that tastes like green tea icecream. It wasn’t a large slice either but totally worth the buck. Every cent of it. You will not find this anywhere else in KW so I highly recommend this item. Even if you go to Watami just for this cake, it’s worth it.
Here are the ratings for each restaurant:
Dake Japanese Fusion Restaurant
Price: 2 tools out of 5
Selection: 4 tools out of 5
Environment: 4 tools out of 5
Service: 4 tools out of 5
Suitable for: Small and large groups
Watami Sushi and Sake Bar:
Price: 2 tools out of 5
Selection: 3 tools out of 5
Environment: 4 tools out of 5
Service: 4.5 tools out of 5
Suitable for: Small groups of 2-4 people